Daddy's Little Girl
by youngandobsessed
Summary: Never in a million years did Tony expect to meet his match in the daughter of NYC'S most beloved superhero. She knew she needed his help, little did he know he needed hers.T for some language and action violence. Tony/Pepper, some Tony/OC flirtation&OC/OC
1. Chapter 1: Her Eyes

A/N: Okay, so this is my first Iron Man fic, it's a sort of a crossover really. I've had the idea for a while and I've got it all outlined, but this story is like my baby so it took me forever to finally bang out the first chapter. I'm totally open to feedback and reviews, turns out writing good Tony/Pepper banter is WAY harder than it seems. If you find this chapter a little confusing, don't worry because everything will be cleared up in the next one (which I'm already working on). Bonus points if you can guess who the superhero is (it's an obscure one!)

Chapter One: Her Eyes

"How much longer do we have to stay Pepper?" Tony whispered into the strawberry blonde's ear that was standing next to him at the bar. "I desperately need to get you out of that dress."

Pepper rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's dramatics. At least he bothered to whisper it this time; that was progressively considerate of him. At the last charity gala, Tony had been on the wrong side of tipsy and announced a similar sentiment to her while she was chatting with the benefit's hosts. They'd had to up their contribution by a couple zero's to make up for the gaffe.

"15 more minutes," she replied, drawing her martini glass up to her lips for a sip. "I need to touch base with the head of R&D."

"15 minutes!" Tony responded incredulously. It was very apparent that this was not the answer he was expecting. "15 minutes, really Pepper, do know what we can accomplish in 15 minutes? Why, in 15 minutes, I can have you on your back and—"

"Tony!" Pepper shrieked flustered before regaining control of the pitch of her speaking voice. "Not the time or place. We're at a benefit for _kids with cancer_."

This didn't seem to deter Tony, who continued attempting to persuade her to leave immediately by subtlety leaning closer to Pepper. If he knew anything about seducing Pepper, which he like to consider himself the master of, he knew if he persisted that she'd get uncomfortable enough by his inappropriate behavior to give in.

"I'm sorry but I just don't understand why you insist on spending 15 minutes of potential sexual bliss with someone you're going to see on Monday anyway boring yourself with deadlines for schematics and various other mind-numbing topics."

Upon becoming the CEO of Stark Industries, one of the skills that Pepper Potts had mastered was picking her battles. This was a time to exercise her acute discretion in that area and leave with Tony. He did have a point, since she did have a meeting with the entire R&D department on Monday, and the one arena in which Tony never disappointed was the bedroom.

So with another roll of her eyes Pepper succumbed—" Alright, you win this time Tony." She placed the stem of her glass back on the bar and prepared to leave. Just before she sauntered away to collect her purse and wrap she whispered to Tony, "Those 15 minutes better be _good._"

Tony struggled to suppress the resulting groan until Pepper was out of ear shot. Just when he thought he had the upper hand, Potts would throw him a curveball. A sexy curveball. These curveballs were partially the reason they'd been going strong for nearly three years, although it was only one facet of Pepper's perfection. In an effort to distract himself, Tony texted Happy to notify him they were leaving. He then proceeded to the lobby of the Beverly Wilshire to escort Pepper out.

His phone buzzed and Tony read Happy's text—_ I'm at the end of the block._

Pepper appeared and the pair linked arms as they strolled out of the hotel. Tonight the paparazzi wasn't terrible, of course there were the average chums who would heckle for attention so they could snap a shot. Nothing Tony or Pepper weren't used to or couldn't handle. Yet amidst all the masculine lewd jeers "Tony! Tony! When are you going to propose?" and "Hey Pepper! Pepper! How's 'Iron Man' in bed?" plus "Tony, what's your favorite sex position?", one female voice stood out. And she didn't want to know if Pepper had an "iron bun" in the oven. Instead she kept her calls to simply "Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark! Can I have a word with you? Please Mr. Stark!"

The woman's voice caught Tony's interest for a fleeting moment. There was something about her warm alto tone that sounded faintly familiar. He braved the flashbulbs to turn his head in order to catch a glimpse of who the voice belonged to. All he could make out before he was blinded by the paparazzo's cameras was a redhead in a knee-length black dress. He quickly dismissed the notion to ascertain her identity, as there were more pressing matters at hand. He needed to get Pepper safely to the car, and then get safely home so he could not-so-safely have his way with her.

But the woman was pursuing them, chasing him and his girlfriend to where the black Audi was waiting. "Mr. Stark! Please Mr. Stark! It's important!"she called behind them as her heels collided with the pavement as she labored to catch up with the couple.

But she never did. Tony and Pepper made it to the car before she could get close enough them.

"Step on it, Happy" ordered Tony once they were situated inside the sedan.

The young woman, she was just a teenager really, stood in the middle of the road crestfallen as the Audi sped away. She truly thought that he would recognize her. But she couldn't just let Tony slip out of her hands like this. She hadn't trekked across the country to be left in the dust. She looked behind her to see if anyone was watching; no one was, they were totally engrossed with whatever celebrity or socialite exiting the gala. The streets ahead of her seemed pretty deserted as well. Then after slipping out of her heels and securing them around her wrist, she began to run. If anyone had been watching, they would have noticed that she ran abnormally fast, not like the Flash or anything, but faster than the average American female.

She sprinted six blocks before catching up the car which was currently stalled at a stop light. Keeping her distance and staying in the shadows, she contemplated her options. Of course there was the obvious, she could run up and tap on the car's windows, perhaps Tony would realize it was her if he got a closer look. She quickly rejected the idea. Tony Stark only reacted to something if it was big and bold. She needed to make a statement that would convey to him that she meant business. And she had an idea how to make one hell of a statement, one that Tony wouldn't soon forget, a statement worthy of an Avenger.

Meanwhile, the passengers in Tony's town car were oblivious to their stalker. Pepper was busy tapping away on her BlackBerry, using the excuse that if she took care of these e-mails now, they could "sleep in" tomorrow morning. Tony's hand casually rested on Pepper's knee and the other drummed the car's arm rest absentmindedly.

The light changed yet the car wasn't moving.

"It's a green light, Happy," the billionaire pointed out to his diver. Tony assumed that Happy didn't notice that they could go.

"I know, Tony, I'm stamping on the gas but she's not moving."

Pepper redirected her vision to the rearview mirror from her BlackBerry. "What's going on? Is there something wrong with the car?"

"She ran fine on the way over here," Happy remarked. "There aren't any warning lights on the dashboard and I filled up on gas on the way over here. I don't—"

Happy's musings were interrupted by shouts (and profanities on Tony's part) from all three of them as the car abruptly hurtled backwards down the street, causing the tires to screech stridently as they were dragged in reverse.

Tony looked out the back window of the car and saw the young woman from the hotel entrance. Her form was lit only by the dim glow of the streetlamp she was standing near causing her to emit a sinister aura. She was responsible for the car's backwards movement as she seemed to be pulling it with two…strings? Or were they cords? that she had attached to the rear of the Audi connected to her wrists. As the sedan continued to be drawn back to the woman Tony realized that they weren't cords or strings, that they were—

His train of thought was derailed by the car's sudden halt, and his passenger door being torn open from the outside. This woman, whoever she was, possessed not only great strength but shrewd control of it, since she managed to break the lock keeping the door shut yet refrained from flinging it off of the car's frame.

Their gazes met and Tony was pierced by the icy blue irises of her eyes. That's all he needed, to look in her eyes, to determine this woman's identity. He should have known before, but she had changed so much since the last time he'd seen her.

She spoke. "Mr. Stark, I need to speak to you regarding the Avengers Recruitment Initiative."

Pepper interjected before Tony could answer her. "Who are you?" she cried.

"Please Pepper," Tony insisted keeping the tone of his voice blasé although he was a bit surprised that a woman as intelligent as Pepper hadn't put it together too. "I'd know those eyes anywhere. Get in, Miss Parker."

A/N: Know who it is? PM me if you want and I'll tell you if you're right or not. Hopefully you're liking it so far!

—youngandobsessed


	2. Chapter 2: Look After You

A/N: So here's Chapter 2! The mystery woman is Spider-Girl, Spider-Man's daughter with Mary Jane. Hope that clears some stuff up! Please keep reviewing and alerting! Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Look After You

"May?" Pepper's head appeared beside Tony's as she peered out of the car at the young woman.

"Hi, Miss Potts." Everything about her changed when she addressed Pepper. Gone was the fierce and confident heroine: she had been replaced by a slightly awkward, very guilty and embarrassed adolescent. May honestly forgot that Pepper had been in the car; she had been so caught up in getting Tony's attention that the fact he wasn't alone had just slipped her mind.

"Sorry about the whole car thing. I just really needed to get a hold of you…" May realized the laughable nature of that statement "…no pun intended."

_Totally Peter Parker's daughter, _Tony thought to himself, amused. Peter was the only person he knew capable of a personality 180 like that. May had apparently inherited the trait.

"Well get in May, we'll give you a lift to where you're staying," Tony offered.

"Th-thanks," May accepted, entering the car as Tony surrendered his seat and slid closer to Pepper. The backseat of the Audi was now a bit crowded and Tony chided himself for listening to Pepper about not taking the limo.

"You have the address?" Happy asked from the driver's seat.

"Oh yeah," she remembered and recited the address to Happy. She added, "It's near the airport."

An uncomfortable silence permeated throughout the car's atmosphere. To avoid any more conversation, May spent the car ride with her gaze fixated on whatever images passed by her window. With her eyes adverted, Tony had the chance to really study her. It was astonishing how her appearance seemed to be a perfect blend of her parent's features. Undoubtedly, she possessed Peter's globular and depthless blue eyes, yet her face was Mary Jane's round shape. She had MJ's nose, but Peter's lips. Even the shade of her hair, a warm but vivid auburn that was swept up into a bun, was a concoction of her father's brunette and her mother's unmistakable fiery red. She even seemed to share their personalities as well, in the five minutes Tony had spent with May, he'd already witnessed Spider-Man's quiet strength and Mary Jane's stubborn determination.

Yet Tony was never one for prolonged periods of silence, so he decided to break it by remarking, "Well May, you've certainly _matured _lately."

Although Tony was now a reformed, one-woman man, he couldn't help but notice how the fabric of her cocktail dress hugged her newfound curves. It was strange to Tony, May had been a gawky preteen the last time he saw her a few years ago when her baby brother Ben was born.

Her ivory skin flushed crimson. "I'd hope so, you guys kind of caught me during an awkward stage the last time we saw each other Mr. Stark."

"Please May, your parents aren't here, you can call me Tony," he insisted.

"By the way," Pepper interjected for the first time in the twenty minutes they had spent in the car (she had been feigning to tend to her BlackBerry all the while performing her own assessment of May), "where _are _your parents?"

The shade of red covering May's face darkened a few shades. She really didn't want to have this conversation, not now. And it wasn't like she could lie. "They're in New York."

"Do they know you're here in California?" Pepper pressed on, however, she had a clear idea where this discussion was heading.

"To be honest Miss Potts, I didn't know I was going to be here in California until I wandered onto a plane a couple hours ago." It was a lame attempt to deflect the question, but May couldn't think of any better answer. Plus it was true.

"May, don't you think we should—"

"Excuse me, Miss Potts, but we're here," Happy interrupted her, which made him May's new favorite person.

Pepper suspended her question to survey the hotel they were parked outside of. To say it was seedy-looking was an understatement. It reminded her of somewhere were drug deals and prostitution took place. She exchanged a concerned glance with Tony.

"So you said you just got here a couple hours ago, right?" Tony asked May.

"Um, yeah." She replied, her tone cautious.

"Then it won't take a long time for you to pack up again. Happy will check you out."

"Mr. Stark—"

"Tony," he corrected her.

"Tony, you don't have to do this. I think I've shown I'm more than capable handling a place like this," May argued.

"That may be true, but you and I both know that your dad would kill me if I let you stay here. And the world likes having an Iron Man. How long do you think you'll need, 15 minutes?" Tony's delivery was curt as well as effortlessly serene.

May glared at Tony, astounded by his narcissism and arrogance, before leaving the car. Happy was already at her door, waiting to open it and escort her inside. Once they were, Pepper turned to him and inquired, "So should I call the Parkers or do you want to?"

"Wait, what?" Tony was a tad overwhelmed by Pepper's swift call for action.

"Come on Tony, what if it was _our_ teenage daughter who had run away to the other side of the country? Don't tell me that you wouldn't be worried sick and at least want to know where she was," she pointed out.

"Run away?"

Pepper rolled her electric blue eyes in exasperation. "God, Tony. You may be a technological genius, but you are so emotionally clueless at times.

"You're wrong" he rebutted.

"Am I?"

"I'm also an engineering genius."

Pepper rolling her eyes was fast becoming the customary reaction to Tony's remarks. "Please, Tony. It's obvious she had a fallout with her parents, probably over that article I showed you a couple weeks ago, remember? The one about the return of Spider-Man, only this time it was a woman in the suit?"

Tony remembered. It all made sense now; he always suspected that Peter would never give his blessing to his baby girl prowling the streets of New York City. So May had gone over her father's head to him, if she became an Avenger, her superhero practices would be undisputable.

"So do you want me to call Mary Jane?" her query snapped Tony out of his reverie.

"It's 2:30 AM in New York right now, Pep." Tony reminded her.

"Her daughter's missing. Do you really think she's sleeping?" Pepper countered.

He knew it was wrong, but for an incredibly selfish reason he wanted Pepper to refrain from calling the Parkers. Tony knew Mary Jane, and if Pepper called her, she'd retrieve her daughter so hastily his head would spin. He recalled what they had written about May in the article. How the criminals stated they could barely get a shot at her, she fought so well. Truth was, he wanted to observe her and her abilities for a while, perhaps she actually would make a positive addition to the Avengers. And then maybe Nick Fury would finally pull his head out of his ass and upgrade Tony's status from consultant to full-fledged member. Not that he cared; he wasn't really a team player to begin with anyway. Still, it would be nice.

"The call can't wait until the morning?" he checked. If she waited, he could disable her cell phone and all other methods of communications at her disposal.

Pepper's response was a stern stare.

"Alright, alright. Better wait until we get back to the house, because if you call MJ now, I'm pretty sure May will flip a shit or something."

"I'm aware of that, Tony. I'm the one who knows how to be subtle, remember?"

Now it was Tony's turn to roll his eyes. "I know how to be subtle Pepper, I just choose not to. Besides, I you like that I'm not subtle." And with that statement his hand began to slowly inch up her thigh.

"Tony," she warned him.

"C'mon, babe. Fifteen minutes." His lips hovered over her ear.

Repressing the shivers Tony's touch gave her, she threatened, "Keep it up, and Jarvis will be preparing two guest rooms."

"Fair enough," Tony conceded dejectedly. No sooner did Tony give Pepper her personal space back did Happy and May emerge from hotel, Happy carrying a small carryall.

"Thank you," she said to Happy as she re-entered the car.

The drive back to Malibu consisted of more uncomfortable silences punctuated by failed endeavors at conversation. May had informed the couple about Ben starting preschool next year and how she just finished her junior year, as well as her recent seventeenth birthday. They'd asked her about college, she was looking at schools in the city, there was her father's alma mater, Columbia, but she liked NYU and Barnard too. Dad was still working as a forensic scientist (he retired as Spider-Man when May was born) and Mom still did an occasional modeling/acting job.

Forty-five minutes later, they'd arrived back at the Stark mansion. May was awestruck.

"You live here?" May questioned Tony as they approached the house. He nodded. Her eyes widened. "This place is bigger than our entire apartment building…and the one next to it."

"It is spacious," Tony admitted, "too much for one person, really. So I had Potts move in."

He flashed his trademark smile at Pepper, who was doing her best to remain unflappable, and failing miserably at it. May giggled a little.

"Good evening, sir and Miss Potts. Welcome home." Jarvis greeted the house's residents.

May jumped and shrieked at the disembodied voice. "Oh my God! What was that? Do tell me you have God working with you too, Tony."

Tony laughed, "No, that's Jarvis. He's the AI that runs the house."

"He's like a virtual butler," Pepper explained, "Don't worry, you'll get used to him."

"Right. Okay." May responded yet uncertainty tinged her voice.

"Miss Potts, the guest room you asked me to prepare for Miss Parker is ready to be inhabited." Jarvis informed the lady of the house.

"Great, thank you Jarvis. May, you must be exhausted. I'll show you to your room."

"I am, thanks."

As she and Pepper left the living area that was twice the size of her family's apartment, May could hear Jarvis's voice return, only this time at a lower volume. She looked over her shoulder and saw Tony still standing in the foyer. Listening a little closer, it seemed that the AI was briefing Tony about what he missed while he was out. May quickly returned her line of sight back in front of her as she ascended the stairs, she didn't want Tony to know she was watching him, in case Jarvis's words were confidential or something. She still couldn't get over it. Tony's house was like something out of a sci-fi movie, only cooler. And real.

"Here we are," Pepper announced and led her into a room that was straight out of a Four Seasons Hotel, decorated like the rest of rest of the house in modern minimalist style. This was a _guest room? _And May got to sleep in it? Pepper continued, "The bathroom is straight through that door" she pointed directly ahead of her across the _king size_ bed "and the closet is the door to the right. There's a TV in the armoire if you'd like to watch something. Tony and I are just down the hall if you need anything or you could just call out to Jarvis. Do you have any questions, don't hesitate to speak up if there's something you need."

"Can I jump on the bed?" questioned May who'd managed to pull her eyes off the luxurious living space to look at Pepper.

Pepper cocked a brow, a bit thrown by the random nature of the question. "Sure."

Instantly, May's eyes light up. "Really, that's awesome! Thank you so much Miss Potts—"

"It's okay to call me Pepper, May."

"Right, okay Pepper. G'Night. Thanks again!" May disappeared behind the dark wood of the door, probably to jump on the bed until she passed out, Pepper assumed.

Pepper had already fallen asleep when Tony joined her in bed.

"What took you so long?" she groggily inquired as she felt his arm wrap around her waist.

"There was some stuff in the lab I had to take care of," he explained. Tony spent the next few moments vacillating if he should tell Pepper what he was thinking. "Pepper?"

"Mmmm?"

"I want May to stay with us for a while."

That statement was enough to get Pepper to open her eyes and shift her body they were facing each other. "What? Why? Don't get me wrong, she's great kid, but she already has parents. Good ones, at that."

"I realize that, Pepper. I just feel like there's some stuff I could teach her, that's all." His tone became defensive.

Pepper's eyes searched Tony's for a moment. She didn't know what she was looking for, sincerity, an ulterior motive, traces of alcohol.

"I'll sleep on it, Tony," she told him.

"Sure you don't want have sex on it?" he suggested waggling his eyebrows a little. Any other night, she would have acquiesced to his request, but things had changed since May was in the picture now.

"You're funny," she replied pecking him on the lips quickly before returning to her previous position.

Tony hadn't lied to Pepper. His self-centered motives aside, he felt that May could learn from his experience. Plus, he felt sympathetic for her; he'd been in her shoes before as the gifted child of controlling parents. What he didn't know yet was that May Parker had some lessons to teach him as well.

A/N: Just for an FYI, I used the movie Peter and Mary Jane (Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst) as her parents, so May's a combo of their features. I hope you liked the chapter!


	3. Chapter 3: Be My Escape

A/N: So, here's Chapter 3! Sorry it took so long, I've been on vacation. I'm just warning y'all that this one's a little dialogue heavy, but it's all in the name of character development, I promise! Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Be My Escape

May awoke the next morning to California sunshine pouring through the windows. It took her a minute to remember where she was and when she did, she was a little surprised she was still there. May had assumed that Pepper had called Mrs. Parker, and knowing her mom, it came as a shock that Mary Jane hadn't busted down Tony's door yet.

Her stomach grumbled, but May was ambivalent about going downstairs in case Tony and Pepper had already left, which meant it would be just her and Jarvis—a thought that she had to admit crept her out a little.

7:10, the clock on her bedside table read. That seemed like a safe enough time. So after brushing her teeth and splashing some water on her face, May wandered downstairs into the kitchen. Much to her relief, Tony and Pepper were present.

"Good morning," Pepper greeted her as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She was dressed in work attire, Tony on the other hand, who was sitting at the table clad in a t-shirt and pajama pants (he was going to forgo a shirt but Pepper insisted he 'have some decency' since they had a guest in the house) reading the paper, was not. "You're up early."

"Oh yeah, I'm still adjusting to the time difference I guess," May explained.

"Right. Sleep well?" Pepper was now filling up a thermos too.

"Yeah, the room you put me in is amazing.'

"I'm glad you like it." Pepper was about to return the coffee pot to its expensive-looking home, but she remembered her manners. "Oh, would you like a cup?"

"No thank you, I don't drink coffee."

"What would you like for breakfast? I'm no Barefoot Contessa, but I could whip something up for you."

"Jeez, Pepper, is this breakfast or an interrogation?" Tony chimed in from the table, not taking his eyes off the paper.

"Cereal's fine, Miss—Pepper. And don't worry about getting it, even we New Yorkers know how bad LA traffic is, I don't want to make you late for work." May replied.

"That's very _considerate _of you, May," said Pepper, emphasizing the word considerate while throwing Tony a dirty look for his previous comment. "I guess I should be heading out. I left my cell and office number for you. Remember, don't—"

"—hesitate to call if I need anything," May finished her sentence. "Thanks, Pepper, I got it. Have a good day at work."

"Gosh, it's so refreshing to have someone _nice_ in the house that isn't programmed to be that way," Pepper remarked as she collected her purse, thermos, and briefcase.

"Hey, I can be nice, "Tony defended himself, "Just in ways that wouldn't be appropriate to discuss in front of a minor."

Before departing, Pepper kissed her boyfriend goodbye. May noticed her also murmuring something in his ear. And she might have been imagining it, but May thought she heard her name among Pepper's whispers.

Ten minutes later, May was sitting across from Tony at the table with her cereal and a glass of OJ. She was having breakfast with Iron Man. If she had a dog, May would have told it that they weren't in Kansas anymore. Sure, she usually had breakfast with Spider-Man, but this was different. Tony was cool.

"So May," Tony began, lowering the newspaper so their eyes could meet. "I'm unfortunately going to be in the workshop all day, but what do you think Happy taking you over to Warner Brothers Studios for a tour?"

"That's okay, Tony. I mean, I have a book."

"I just thought it might be good to get you out of the house, you know, since you're terrified of Jarvis."

"I am not terrified of Jarvis!" May exclaimed offended. "He just startled me last night, that's all."

Tony wasn't buying it. "Sure, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night. Happy will be here at 9 if you want to go."

"Thanks, Tony. I think I will, it sounds cool."

Silence ensued. _Not again, _Tony thought. He recalled the job Pepper had assigned him this morning: to get the story about what happened between May and her parents. It was a mission Tony had been reluctant to accept.

"_Pepper, you should talk to her," he insisted. His girlfriend was getting ready for work while he still lounged in bed. "She feels more comfortable with you anyway, you two can have 'girl talk' or whatever."_

"_Actually, Tony," Pepper argued as she emerged from their bathroom and crossed over to her closet, "I honestly think she'd be more likely to open up to you. She can relate to you with all the hero stuff."_

"_What if she starts crying or something? You know as well as I do that I'm not exactly Mr. Sensitivity."_

_Pepper began putting on her pantyhose at the foot of the bed, which caused Tony to completely forget what they were currently discussing. _

"_Then I'll do what I always do," she assured him. Damn, her legs were perfect._

"_Which is?" Tony's eyes were glued to Pepper as she slipped into her dress. She was sexy even while putting her clothes _on.

"_Clean up your mess." Pepper replied simply. _

"_You're going to have to clean up a different kind of mess if you don't get over here right now."_

"_That reminds me, no more dirty comments in front of May. It's déclassé."_

Well he'd already fucked that up. How bad could the heart-to-heart thing be? Tony watched May as she swallowed a spoonful a cereal and washed it down with a swig of her juice.

_Here goes nothing, _Tony told himself before speaking aloud. "Are you going you to tell me what Peter did that sent you running across the country, or do I have to water board you?"

May froze. Her instinctual defense mechanism was to make a sarcastic comment. "Wow, Tony, I really wish you'd stop beating around the bush and just ask me a straight question already."

_So she had Mary Jane's wit_, Tony noted.

"You're very clever. Out with it, Parker."

"You're going to have to water board me."

Time to try another tactic.

"C'mon May you can trust me," he said, the sarcasm had disappeared from his tone.

"Can I Tony? How do I know your not recording this to send to the NYPD?" May retorted.

"Told you you were afraid of Jarvis."

"The last book we read in English class was 1984. Call me paranoid."

Tony angled his gaze to the ceiling. "Jarvis, please temporarily shut down surveillance in the kitchen area."

A moment passed before Jarvis replied, "Done, sir."

"Happy now?"

May eyes adverted downward so she could stare at the marble floor while she debated if she should spill, and not Tony's devilishly handsome face. _God, he was so hot for an older guy_. She really didn't want to tell him. It wasn't like incapable of expressing her feelings, it's just…he was _Iron Man, _for Pete's sake. Then again, maybe the fact that Tony was Iron Man was why she should let him in. He'd understand.

"They didn't want me to Spider-Girl; they said it was too dangerous. Plus my dad was pissed because I missed his award ceremony to chase down Raptor. It's just…Spider-Girl is a part of me that I just can't deny anymore. I was born this way. Because of _him, _by the way_, _his DNA made me like this. And I understand the fatherly need to protect and I get what my mom was saying about how important it is for me to be a "normal teenager", but the truth is, I'm not. I have this gift, and I want to use it to help people. I _like_ helping people. It's what I was put on this earth to do: to protect my home. Really, he should be happy I'm not using my powers for selfish reasons—like to win wrestling matches to get money for a car to impress girls. I practically an adult, is it so wrong that I want to start making my own decisions? I've learned from his mistakes."

"So you came to California?"

"I thought if you and Nick Fury, two experienced adults, saw me as a necessary asset to keeping the peace in New York City, maybe they'd finally accept what I've been doing." May told him.

Tony tried to mediate. "I get where you're coming from May, but you're just so young—"

"That's not my fault! I didn't ask for my abilities to start surfacing at age fifteen!" she retaliated, throwing her hands up in innocence.

"May—"

May countered with "Tony, what if Pepper told you that you had to stop being Iron Man because she was worried about you. Would you really let that stop you from doing what you know in your heart is right?"

She had him there. Tony could tell how much this meant to her by the how wild her voice had become as well as the tears that were beginning to form in her sky blue eyes. He had to do something to calm her down quick—crying women and Tony Stark did not mix.

"May, listen, I'm on your side, I really am. But we called your mom, well Pepper did, I'm not really one to tattle."

May's lips twitched upwards into a small grin.

"Now, I'm not making any promises, because your mother is probably the only person on this Earth who is just as stubborn as I am," May's smile brightened. Tony inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "but, I'm going to try to convince her to let you stay here for a while."

Her jaw dropped. She was so shocked that half-eaten Cheerios almost fell out of her mouth.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent."

"_Why?_"

"Because I know where you're coming from. Plus, you've got potential."

May was now beaming at maximum wattage. _Tony Stark_ thought she had _potential_.

"Oh, Mr. Stark, sorry Tony, thank you! Like really, this is so epic!" May felt compelled to hug him, but stifled the urge. "Okay well, I'm going to get ready and let you do… whatever it is that you do in your workshop. Be Iron Man and stuff. Thank you so much!"

She began to clear her place at the table but Tony told her not to worry about it.

She was going to spend the summer at _Tony Stark's_ house. Her friends would never believe her. Especially Jimmy Yama, he's probably pass out at the fact that someone he knew had any sort of contact with Tony. She wished she could call them, but May had turned off her cell phone on the plane to California and had no intention of switching it back on anytime soon. Not with New York's finest looking for her.

May resurfaced from her bedroom at 5 to 9. Tony was nowhere to be seen, yet Happy was waiting outside. The ride to Burbank was silent until May's Ipod died halfway there. She decided to make at least an attempt at conversation.

"So, why do they call you Happy?" May inquired.

Happy momentarily took his eyes off the 101 to glance at May in the rearview mirror. "It's kind of an ironic name, I didn't smile that much when I was a kid."

"Ah, I see," May chuckled.

"And I'm guessing that you were born in—"

"The third," she confirmed. "I was also named after my Dad's aunt who raised him. My brother's named after his uncle."

"I guess with a sort name it's a bit difficult to have a nick name," mused Happy.

"You'd be surprised. My friends call me 'Mayday". They find it amusing to shout in the hallway.""

"Mayday, you know that fits actually." The driver replied, reminiscing about last night's events.

"Really? I guess it sort of does," May responded. "How did you start working for Tony?"

"I pulled him out of a car wreck," Happy answered nonchalantly, as if the answer had been something mundane like 'I sent him my resume' or 'I met him at a party.'

"No way."

"Let's just say Tony has a history of incidents at the racetrack. He offered me $50,000 for saving his life but I turned it down. I told him what I really needed was a steady job with three weeks' vacation and a good pension plan, so Tony gave me the job on the spot."

"That's so cool," remarked May, reveling at the story.

She and Happy chatted casually until they reached the studio. Before Happy left with May to go on her tour, he reminded her, "Call if you need anything. I'll be here to pick you up when it's over."

"Thanks. See ya, Happy," May waved over her shoulder as she hurried to join the group.

The tour was entertaining and informative, but May felt awkward being there alone. Although she was furious them, May missed her parents and baby Ben terribly. But she couldn't think about that now, and to keep from crying, May rapidly pushed the thoughts of her family out of her head and placed an inordinate amount of concentration on the tour guide's words.

As promised, Happy was waiting for May once the tour was finished. The town car and chauffeur/bodyguard who looked like he walked out of a Men in Black movie definitely yielded some raised eyebrows and hushed chatters from her fellow tourists, who suspected she was the daughter of a studio exec or a lesser known hotel heiress.

Once situated in the car, Happy asked, "You hungry?"

"Starving," May replied.

"There's a place around here that Pepper likes," he suggested.

"Is it fancy?"

"Sort of," admitted Happy.

"What about In-N-Out Burger?" proposed May.

"You know May, you are shaping up to be my kind of girl."

They were almost finished with their burgers when May cried out of nowhere, "Oh! I almost forgot!" she reached into her purse and produced a Warner Brothers Studios baseball cap. May set it down on the table and pushed it slightly in his direction.

Happy didn't quite know how to react. Tony only remembered birthdays because Pepper did it for him. "For me? Seriously, you didn't have to—"

"I wanted to," she assured him.

As he studied the hat, Happy deduced the reason for the spontaneous gesture. "Don't tell me this is some sort of apology present for last night."

"Okay, it's a thank you present for today." May lied. Happy and May engaged in a short staring contest. Happy was victorious since May confessed, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help myself. I didn't want you to get the wrong idea about me—because I promise I'm not usually like that, only when I'm chasing down bad guys."

"Please, May. If anyone owes me an apology hat, it's Ivan Vanko for completely destroying that Rolls Royce a couple years ago."

"Well, seeing as that's not going to happen any time soon, you're just going to have to accept mine," May told him, her mother's smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Happy finally accepted the gift and said, "Thank you, I'll put it to good use."

When they arrived back in Malibu, May was greeted (and consequently frightened) by Jarvis's smooth, accented voice that came from…the ceiling?

"Welcome back, Miss Parker. Mr. Stark has requested your presence down in the basement," he informed her.

"Thank you, Jarvis. Um…tell him I'll be right down," May answered, her right hand still clutching her chest from the scare.

She descended the staircase down to Tony's workshop, which was separated by a wall of glass. There was a holographic keypad next to the door, but it swung open by itself.

"So _this _is Iron Man's secret lair," May remarked aloud in wonder as she stepped through the doorway. Her comment was muffled by the thundering, driving rock rhythms playing throughout the room. Tony acknowledged her company, temporarily taking his eyes off the hologram of the suit he was manipulating.

"How was the tour?"

"Great. Thanks for setting that up," she replied at a higher volume while making her way across the polished marble floor to where Tony was working. It was an impressive space, with the all the pristine luxury cars, the two large robotic arms that seemed to move on their own, not to mention the Iron Man suits mounted on one of the end of the room. Jimmy Yama would so be peeing in his pants if he were here right not. "So, is there any particular reason you wanted to see me down here? Because I'm sorry, Tony, I can't be the Iron Girl to your Man, I've got my own superhero gig, remember?"

She'd reached Tony now.

"The _last_ thing I need is a sidekick" Tony guaranteed her, still toying with the hologram of the suit. He listened for May's snappy remark, but he was only met with silence. Tony looked to his left where she was standing; her cerulean eyes were fixed on the hologram and how Tony touched it, tweaked it, and spun it.

"It's like magic," she marveled.

Tony smirked. "I thought you might be interested in this stuff, you dad mentioned you were a science geek, just like him."

May finally removed her gaze from the hologram to meet Tony's deep brown (they were almost black, really) irises. "Yeah, but I'm better at Biochemistry. Physics and Engineering? Not so much."

"Well, you're welcome to hang out down here for a while," Tony told her and quickly added, "if you want."

"Really?" How many people got to chill in Tony Stark's lab? May secretly hoped Jarvis could print her out some surveillance stills for proof to show her friends.

"Yeah, Dummy and You aren't the best company," explained Tony, returning to upgrading the suit.

"What and who?" May questioned dumbfounded.

Before Tony could answer her, the two free-standing robotic arms whizzed in front of her. She shook each of the hands and giggled, "They're charming."

"Charming?" Tony repeated in disbelief. "That's a new one."

The next half hour May watched Tony intently as she worked on the hologram of the suit, explaining occasionally what he was doing along the way. She wandered away from him to explore the rest of the workshop, informing Tony he wasn't _that_ fascinating to watch, finally settling on the couch and watching _America's Best Dance Crew _on his voice-activated TV. All the while she stole glances at Tony. He'd gotten quite greased up from wrestling with the guts of the suit, and May had to admit that the oil complemented his wifebeater and jeans. He was like a sexy mechanic…May stopped herself there. It wasn't right to fantasize about a man who was not only her parent's age, but very off the market, even if every other girl at school did. Heather Noble's locker was covered with pictures of Tony/Iron Man. May didn't have the chance to further debate whether it was appropriate to think about Tony that way since she was jerked back into reality by Pepper, notifying them it was time for dinner.

The meal was casual and _familial, _conversation didn't evade the three of them like it did the previous evening in the car. May laughed a lot. It felt refreshing after so much strife back at home. After dinner, Tony returned back to the depths of the workshop, even at the late hour, apparently since "genius never sleeps". May helped Pepper clear up and took sanctuary in her room to read until she fell asleep.

A/N: I realize how much filler this is, but I promise things heat up in the next chapter!

-youngandobsessed


	4. Chapter 4: Nice to See You

A/N: Yay! Another chapter! Okay, I'll be honest, this one is up so quickly because it was originally part of Chapter 3 until I broke it up. So without further ado…

Chapter 4: Nice to See You

Tony was so engrossed with the upgrading suit that he didn't realize it was two A.M. when Jarvis reported to him there was someone at the gates. The AI brought up the security camera's feed on one of the screens for his viewing.

"Zoom in on the driver's face please Jarvis," Tony directed the system. He looked to make sure that it in fact was Mary Jane and then instructed Jarvis to let her in. Tony reluctantly pulled himself away from his work to go upstairs and meet his visitor.

He opened the door before she could knock. "Mary Jane Parker, what a totally unexpected surprise. Here to make the rumors about us all those years ago true?"

"Where's my daughter?" she demanded austerely, storming past Tony into the house and completely ignoring his innuendo.

"Wow, you don't waste any time, do you?" he inquired as he closed the front door.

"My flight back to New York leaves in three hours and May _will _be on it with me. I don't like repeating myself Tony, where is she?" Mary Jane pressed becoming more impatient with each passing second. She could barely tolerate Tony's antics on a good day, let alone when she was a sleep-deprived, frazzled, and depressed mess.

Tony let down his guard a little since Mary Jane wasn't really giving him a choice. "She's upstairs, asleep."

"Is she okay?" Mary Jane wanted to know, maternal concern creeping into her stoic tone.

"Completely unharmed," he reassured her. "You on the other hand, look like you could a glass of wine. Merlot or Cab?"

"Cut the bullshit, Tony. I'm not one of those airhead models you used to swindle into your bed," Mary Jane retaliated acerbically at his misplaced levity. Even if he_ was_ right. Most days, Mary Jane didn't look like she was old enough to have May as a daughter, but the frantic searching had taken a serious toll on her appearance and her age was starting to show. There were bags under Mary Jane's eyes that were dark as bruises and the bloodshot whites of her eyes contrasted sharply with her blue irises. Her fiery red hair was disheveled, although it was pulled back into a pony tail and her fair complexion had become uncharacteristically pale. The next time she spoke, Mary Jane opted for begging, hoping Tony would have some sympathy and cut it out with the mind games. "Please handover my daughter, I need to get her home."

"I wanted to talk to you about that actually," Tony began, pouring himself a glass of one of his most expensive Merlots. He was going to need it. Come to think of it, maybe he should break out the scotch too.

"What, you're flying us home on the private jet? Tony, you shouldn't have," Mary Jane retorted, politeness eluding her due to her immense exhaustion.

"Well no, but I mean, if you want to take the jet home instead, sure, but I wanted to discuss with you…" he trailed off, fearing Mary Jane's reaction when he dropped the bomb. But he had to do it now; she was getting antsier by the second. "…having your daughter stay with me for the summer."

It was a good thing Mary Jane hadn't accepted Tony's drink offer or she would have spilled it all over his twenty thousand dollar carpet. "Tony, I told you to stop with the joking. I can't handle it at this hour."

"I'm being absolutely sincere, Mary Jane." He told her, looking her in the eye to convey his earnestness.

"Tony, you can barely take care of yourself. Why on Earth would I trust you with my seventeen-year-old daughter, the thing I love most in this world?" Mary Jane was just as serious as Tony was.

"Because both parties need to cool off. If you take her home now, she's just going to go running back to me or maybe Steve Rogers. Trust me, I have some experience in this arena. Absence makes the heart grow fonder in these situations." Tony paused to gauge Mary Jane's response to his proposal. She stood frozen, seemingly listening to Tony, or perhaps contemplating calling in the SWAT team. You could never be sure with Mary Jane Parker. Tony decided to continue with his speech which he had spent all day preparing for this precise moment. "Think about it, MJ, she couldn't be Spider-Girl if she stayed here. I don't know how familiar you are with Californian geography, but it isn't very conducive to webslinging. She _has _to be normal here, let her realize what she's missing."

"And what would she do if she were to stay with you?" Mary Jane had found her voice. "Lounge around the house all day?"

Tony was expecting she'd ask him that, so he had an answer at the ready. "I'll make her an intern at Stark Industries, that way Pepper can keep an eye on her. Not that this relevant, but it'd also look good on her college applications."

Mary Jane wasn't convinced, at least not yet. "Tony, do you realize what a huge responsibility a child is? And she _is_ a child, don't let her looks fool you."

"MJ, you seem to be forgetting my better half," he pointed out.

"Yes, but Pepper also has a company to run," countered Mary Jane.

"She's one hell of a multitasker, though," Tony argued back.

Mary Jane had gone silent again. Tony could tell this time though that she was deep in contemplation.

"I don't know, Tony, with your identity out to the public and everything, I mean we get enough threats and attacks and Peter keeps his former identity a secret. I'm not saying that you're not being genuine, it's just—"

Their gazes locked for a second time. "Mary Jane, you know I will do everything in my power to keep her safe."

"But what if that's not enough? I'm sorry but I have to put her safety first," said Mary Jane. "And besides, what's with the newfound paternal instinct? Last time I checked, all kids were to you were vehicles to buy your merchandise and boost your ego."

"It's different this time," Tony asserted.

"And why is that?"

"Because I can identify with her. I know how riffs like this can affect teenagers; I lived through it and barely survived. I'm doing this for you, Mary Jane, I know you love your daughter and I want your relationship to be on speaking terms when she goes off to college."

Another pause. Then it all clicked for Mary Jane. "What's your ulterior motive, Tony? Don't try to deny it, I know you too well. You may mean what you're saying but there's something else going on that you're not telling me."

"Mary Jane—"

"If you lie to me Tony Stark, so help me—"

"Alright! I want to see what she's got." Tony came clean after realizing the futility of lying to her. "She might be good for the Avengers when she comes of age."

"You want to observe my child like some lab rat just so she can join your little club?" her voice was total venom and disgust.

Tony stood his ground. "Mary Jane, you know it's not like that. I'll call Nick Fury, she'll show him what she can do and then he'll tell her she has to wait until she's 21. That's why she came out here, you know. She wanted me to make her a member. And I'm potentially buying you four years here, MJ."

That seemed to be the closer for Mary Jane. Four years. She wasn't sure that a "Thanks but no thanks" from Nick Fury would be enough to keep May off the streets, but it was worth a shot, wasn't it? Mary Jane was willing to try anything to protect her daughter from harm.

"She'll kick your ass, you know that right?" The severity in her voice had been swapped with playfulness.

"I'm not afraid of a seventeen-year-old girl, no matter how much silly string she can shoot from her wrists." scoffed Tony. "Should I take that as a yes?"

Mary Jane pursed her lips. She was about to do make possibly the most dangerous and stupid parenting decision ever, but Tony had a point. "It's a yes, but with conditions. I'm going to be in touch with Pepper, and if one thing goes on that I don't approve of, she'll be back in New York so quickly Iron Man won't even be able to catch her. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Mom."

Mary Jane did something that she hadn't done in thirty six hours: smile. "Sorry, force of habit. But do we have an understanding?"

"Thank you, Mary Jane." Tony said, unable to hide the astonishment from his voice. Even he didn't think he would emerge victorious from this debate. 

She smiled weakly again. "Can I at least see her?"

"Yeah, I'll take you up to her room."

Upon entering the guest room May was occupying, Mary Jane went straight to her sleeping daughter. Tony stayed in the doorway to give her some privacy. Mary Jane sat on the bed and stroked her daughter's hair, gazing at her daughter features as she slept, silent tears rolling down Mary Jane's cheeks as she did so. May stirred slightly at her mother's caresses but didn't wake. After a few more minutes, Mary Jane met Tony back at the doorway.

"I can't stay any longer or my motherly instincts will kick in and I'll take her home." Her voice was thick from holding back tears as she told Tony.

"Come on then, I'll walk you out." They started back down the hallway.

"Thanks. And give Pepper my love. I'd say hi but I don't want to wake her up." Mary Jane explained.

"Should I get my driver to take you to my plane?" Tony inquired as they crossed the living room.

Mary Jane rolled her eyes. "Tony, please, I was joking about the private jet."

They were at the front door. Before he bid her goodbye, Tony still had one more thing to ask her. "So what are you going to tell Peter?"

Tony Stark and Peter Parker were friends, but they didn't see eye-to-eye on much. Tony knew that if Peter had been here, no concessions would have been made and May would have been dragged out of his house kicking and screaming.

"Honestly? I haven't the slightest clue. I'll come up with something though, don't worry; your Iron Ass is off the hook for now." There was the old Mary Jane he knew and loved.

"Drive safe, Mary Jane. Oh, and beware of the photographers, we wouldn't to destroy your reputation again, even if we do make a hot couple." He teased as she began walking to her rental car.

"In your dreams, Tony," she called back to him before vanishing into the night.

A/N: So if you were wondering about the whole Tony/Mary Jane scandal, I got the idea from an issue of the Spider-Man comics in which Peter and Mary Jane stayed with Tony when their apartment burned down. Mary Jane was seen exiting Tony's place and people assumed they were together. I figured Tony wouldn't just let that go. I hoped you enjoyed their banter as much as I did. PLEASE review, they're like crack and I'm a total addict!

-youngandobsessed


	5. Chapter 5: 1st Day on a Brand New Planet

A/N: Hola! So here's Chapter 5, this one was a little tricky to write but I hope y'all enjoy it!

Chapter 5: First Day on a Brand New Planet

"Good morning, Miss Parker."

May shrieked from surprise and nearly fell down the stairs she was descending. She was creeping around in case her mom was here, May had woken up with a strong feeling that Mary Jane had visited during the previous night and who knows how Tony was planning to coerce May into leaving with her mother. She had been doing a good job until Jarvis had frightened her with his greeting.

"Shit! Jarvis, you scared me," she gasped as May tried to regain control of a normal heart rate.

"You know, Miss Parker, for someone with precognitive abilities, you frighten quite easily." Jarvis remarked, smugness creeping into his cool British accent.

"Yeah well, things have been a little out of whack lately," May explained. "Plus, I was concentrating my spider-sense on something else."

"I can assure you that neither of your parents are on the premises," Jarvis notified her.

May rolled her eyes angrily. "So you let me sneak around the house like a total creeper with that tidbit of information? Tony was right, you are a smartass."

Jarvis's tone remained blasé. "I assure you Miss Parker that my personality is completely in accordance to how Mr. Stark programmed me."

"For some reason, I don't entirely believe you," May replied to the AI, a sly smile on her face as she proceeded down the stairs normally and into the kitchen. Tony and Pepper were there, dressed as they were yesterday morning, Pepper in a business suit and Tony in pajamas, but the cheery mood was gone. The couple sat at the table solemnly waiting for their guest to enter the kitchen.

When she did, Tony began humorlessly, "May, we need to talk."

"Okay," she cautiously responded crossing the kitchen to sit with the pair. "What's going on?"

"Your mother was here last night—"

"I don't believe you, Tony. Where's your black eye?"

Neither of the adults laughed.

"Our conversation didn't get_ that_ aggressive," Tony told her, still maintaining his somber façade.

"So if my mom was here, then why aren't I on a plane back to New York?" May questioned suspiciously. She had to wonder if this was all a big set up.

"That's what we wanted to discuss with you," said Pepper. "Tony and your mom have worked out an arrangement to let you stay here for the summer."

May's face instantly lit up from shock and gladness.

"You convinced her to let me stay?" May marveled looking at Tony, who in a rare moment of modestly simply shrugged his shoulders in confirmation. "Wow, I guess you do actually deserve that Nobel Peace Prize they gave you last year."

"Before you get all excited May, we have to lay down some ground rules," Pepper said. "Not that we're going to have any problems, but I am obligated to call your parents if any of these rules aren't followed."

"Oh, okay." That sobered May up quick.

"Her idea, not mine," Tony said pointing at his girlfriend.

Pepper gave a Tony a frustrated look. "Well for starters, you'll be beginning an internship position at Stark Industries tomorrow. When you're not at work, curfew is 10 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends. Boys have to be out at the same time if you're here. One of us has to know where you are and who you're with at all times when you're out of the house. And concerning your abilities—"

May inhaled sharply in anticipation, praying they wouldn't say she couldn't use them.

"—let's keep them to a minimum. Tony explained that some you don't have control over like the reflexes and the spider-sense, but you are not allowed to use your abilities outside the house."

"Sounds fair enough," May nodded as she accepted their rules. At least she said a _minimum_, and not _forbidden._ This was a significant improvement from her parents' policy regarding her abilities. "Thank you so much for letting me stay, you guys."

"Of course, May," Tony replied, flashing her one of those smiles that made women want to rip off their undergarments. May was no exception, but she restrained herself and got some cereal instead.

0-0-0

The next morning, Pepper wasn't the only one dressed in professional attire bustling around the kitchen at the Stark Mansion. She had taken May shopping the previous afternoon for some work clothes, since May had packed light and her parents hadn't sent any additional clothing yet. The two women left a pajama-clad Tony to toil in the workshop.

The Stark Industries building was a thoroughly imposing structure. It was a tall, broad edifice with tinted glass windows and the Stark Industries logo in white at the top left corner of the building. As she and Pepper approached the entrance, May caught a glimpse of her reflection, studying it quickly, and hoping she looked professional. She was sporting a black dress skirt with matching blazer that was layered over a bright blue blouse (to match her eyes claimed the salesperson yesterday). She paired the ensemble with black pumps that hurt already and her hair was pulled back into a competent ponytail. She even carried a thin briefcase that was pretty much empty, besides money for lunch and her cell phone. Her heart was beating uncontrollably. May chided herself for this, back in New York drug busts and stopping thieves didn't scare her as much as this. She needed to get a grip.

They entered the building and went through the comprehensive security checkpoint to continue to the elevator.

"So I'm going to drop you off on the fourth floor and the manager of the internship program, Karen Fishman, will get you all set up." Pepper told May as the elevator rose.

"Thanks, Pepper," May said, hesitating before asking her, "Do think this was a good idea?"

"Sure it was," Pepper reassured her. "You have nothing to worry about, May. This is a piece of cake compared to what you did on a daily basis in New York."

The elevator doors had opened, revealing the lively commotion of the fourth floor. The two women left the elevator car to find Karen.

"Yeah, but I got to wear a mask when I was doing all that stuff," May pointed out.

"May, trust me, you'll be fine. Better than fine, you'll be great. It's natural to be nervous. And remember, if anything goes terribly wrong, I'm just upstairs." Pepper told May in a soothing tone.

Karen had arrived at where they were standing. She was middle-aged, short, but seemed pleasant. "Good morning, Miss Potts. This must be Miss Parker."

"Indeed it is," Pepper verified, smiling down at an anxious May. "I've got a meeting in ten, so I'm going to leave her in your capable hands. Happy will pick you up in the lobby at five May."

"Thanks, Miss Potts," said May as Pepper left.

May followed Karen as she led her through the labyrinth of cubicles that made up the Stark Industries Accounting Division and listened as she briefed her about the program and her duties. Basically, May's job was to make copies, get coffee, take lunch orders, and occasionally make dinner reservations. Once a week, there was an "enriching activity", in which the interns got to sit in on a meeting, see what R&D was working on, or have a panel with some of the company's employees. There were already six interns on her floor, Karen informed her, as she led her to a meeting room where the interns were set up.

"Hey everyone, this is our newest intern, May Parker from New York City. I expect that you'll show her the ropes and make her feel comfortable." Karen introduced May to the six young adults. They all looked a few years older than her, college-age. "That's Spencer, Jason, Justin, Bridget, Eric, and Debbie," said Karen as she gestured to each person. "I'll be across the hall," and with that she left.

No one seemed to be too interested in May's arrival and once Karen left they went back to texting and chatting like they were before she entered. So May simply sat down at the table in the middle of the room, fiddling with the beeper Karen gave her that the employees communicated their requests through.

"So May," began the girl Karen specified as Spencer, sliding in a seat across from May, "why are you here so late? The program started like three weeks ago."

"Oh um, the school I go to in New York gets out later," May said.

"What school would that be?" Spencer pressed. She had pale skin that contrasted with her dark eyes and hair, along with strong features that didn't make her conventionally attractive. May got a vibe that she wasn't exactly Miss Congeniality. "I'm from Scarsdale, I might know it."

"East Side High."

"You're still in high school? I thought this program was for college students only," Spencer remarked, a maliciously triumphant smile spreading across her perfectly glossed lips. May was determined to wipe it off that horse face of hers.

"I guess I'm just a special case," May offered as an explanation. _They have no idea, _she thought to herself.

Spencer's retort was eclipsed by her pager beeping. Supposedly the VP of Accounting needed her dry cleaning picked up. Once she left, one of the guys turned to her and apologized. "Sorry about that, Spencer's kind of a bitch."

"Really? I hadn't noticed." May responded sarcastically. "You're Justin?"

"No, Eric," he corrected her. _He's actually pretty cute_, May noticed now that she was getting a good look at him. He was tall, easily 6'2", but slender with dirty blonde hair and two perfectly circular blue eyes. He had a slim face with a warm and inviting smile. "That's Justin," he clarified, pointing over to the Asian guy listening to his iPod.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Karen kind of went quickly with the names." May apologized. Her cheeks were tinged with a faint blush at the gaffe.

"No problem. And don't worry about Spencer, she's always like that."

"Yeah," Bridget chimed in, "She thought when she got here that she'd be assisting Pepper Potts herself, not getting coffee for a bunch of math nerds."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being a math nerd," said Justin.

Bridget continued, ignoring Justin, "Anyway, she's under a lot of pressure. Her parents are like psycho bluebloods and if she doesn't graduate Summa Cum Laude from Yale they'll probably disown her."

"That's rough," said May, feeling slight sympathy for Spencer, but not enough to excuse her behavior.

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious she feels threatened by you," Jason decided to join the conversation. He looked the least like he belonged there, since he seemed to be the quintessential Californian surfer dude, with his blonde hair that hung just past his bright green eyes, and a deep voice that seemed to be slightly dazed. "Sorry, I'm a Pysch major."

"Yeah, that's right. Jason's a psych major so he knows exactly what's going on when he's high," laughed Justin. Jason wasn't insulted by Justin's remark.

"I don't really see how I'm a threat," May said, returning to Jason's statement.

"Well she doesn't want anyone to butt in on her ass-kissing," Bridget clarified, pulling out her compact and powdering her ebony complexion. "Plus, there's the whole high school thing. She wishes she could have interned in high school instead of being rejected twice and then finally getting accepted into the program as a junior."

"Trust me, she doesn't have anything to worry about," May assured them. She was already in with the boss.

The rest of the day passed by in typical office monotony. Eric stepped up and helped her learn the copier and how to put purchases on the company's tab. Her peers, with the exception of Spencer, were pretty cool. Finally, five o'clock arrived and she walked out with Eric.

"You said you're from New York right?" he asked as they exited the crowded elevator.

"Hm? Oh yeah." She replied, his question had taken her a little off guard since she had been a little preoccupied checking him out.

"That is so awesome. I'm from Raleigh, North Carolina, but you can just call it Boring Town, USA."

May laughed. "Well, there's nothing wrong with that. I mean, I don't really have anything to compare New York to, you know, since I've lived there all my life. But, sometimes I wonder if things would be better if I lived somewhere else."

Eric was not convinced. "I guess. I like it out here in California better; the night life's a lot better at UCLA. Plus, you've got superheroes out here. Last week I saw Iron Man fly by my bus when it got stuck in traffic."

"That's cool! You a big Tony Stark fan?" She inquired.

"Are you kidding me? The man is the ultimate badass. He's a genius inventor, not to mention an Avenger—"

"Don't forget narcissist," added May quick-wittedly.

"What? Oh yeah, well if I were Iron Man, I think I'd be full of myself too," admitted Eric.

"I just think he's setting a bad example. Captain America isn't like that, Spider-Man wasn't like that—"

"Hey! Did you hear about that Spider-_Girl _that's been sighted in New York City?"

May froze. She had to be very careful when answering him. "Um…yeah I think I heard something about that. What do you think of her?"

"I think she's hot."

May now understood why maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to make your identity public. She was beaming, but quickly reeled herself in.

"Yeah, I can see that," May said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Well, I hate to go, May, but I have a bus to catch. See you tomorrow!" Eric jogged down to the end of the street and disappeared onto a City Bus.

"Bye!" May called after him as she smiled to herself. He thought she was hot. Okay, he didn't know she was Spider-Girl, but still. That had to count for something right? The thing was, she liked him too. She just hoped he could learn to like her but as May Parker, not Spider-Girl. _Forget telling him about being Tony's house guest_, May told herself. If she was ever going to win Eric Brenner's affections she was going to have to do it herself, no help from her alter-ego or Tony's for that matter.

She returned back inside the building, the opposite direction of the workday exodus, to meet Happy in the lobby.

"Hey Happy."

"There you are, May. I thought you were planning to web sling back to Malibu." Happy joked.

"Very funny. Where's Pepper?" questioned May she scanned the spacious lobby of Stark Industries for the statuesque strawberry blonde.

"She's working late again. She'll get a company car home. Let's go before the traffic gets too unbearable." The driver urged.

May agreed and followed him down to the garage where Happy had parked the car.

"Happy?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could wait for me down the street from now on?" she inquired timidly.

"What, do I embarrass you?" Happy asked with mock offense.

"No! No, no, quite the opposite. I just—I don't want any of the people I work with to get the wrong idea about me."

"Like that guy you strolled out with?" Happy insinuated.

There was no point in denying it. May knew that when it came to guys, she wasn't exactly subtle. "Promise you won't tell Tony?"

"Your secret's safe with me, May." He assured her.

0-0-0

"So, how was your first day of work?" Tony asked as he came up from the basement and found May lounging on the couch, still in business attire.

"Thrill-a-minute. If you think what you're doing down there is exciting, Tony, you'll never believe what the Accounting Division is like."

"That mind-numbing?"

"Nah, I'm over-exaggerating. The other interns are cool…for the most part." May confessed. "Thank you for position."

"Hey, anything for Spidey's daughter," he said, flashing another one of those underwear-ripping grins. "Have you seen—"

"She called and said she'll be home in a half-hour." She informed him, knowing it was only a matter of time before he would be asking about Pepper.

"So, you excited about staying here this summer?" Tony inquired although he already knew the answer but desperate not lapse into an awkward silence.

"Only extremely," she answered.

"Good, because I have some stuff to teach you about the hero biz, young grasshopper."

"Really? Like how to call attention to myself and get in trouble with the government? Can't wait," May replied before adding, "Oh and if you call me grasshopper again I might have to punch you."

"See right there, you obviously need coaching on how to control your snide remarks," he teased.

"Well you could stand to learn a few things too, Tony," May informed him as-a-matter-of-factly.

"_Me_? You know what they say May, you can't teach an old dog new tricks," he pointed out.

"So you're admitting that you're old then?"

"Of course not," answered Tony, catching himself. "It was a figure of speech. I'm in the best shape of my life, or couldn't you tell?"

May stayed silent and rolled her eyes at the risk of speaking and agreeing with him.

"Well, I guess I should start on dinner," Tony spontaneously decided.

"_You_ cook?" May questioned bewildered.

"What, you think all I can do is blow stuff up? Please May, you have much to learn about the great Tony Stark," Tony told her, although she wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

May followed him into the kitchen, since the only way she would ever believe his claim about cooking is if she saw it with her own eyes, murmuring to herself "We'll see about that."

A/N: Hope you liked it! Review if you feel so inclined por favor!

-youngandobsessed


	6. Chapter 6: Smells Like Teen Spirit

A/N: Sorry this took me so long to update! One word: College. Anyway. I think it's high time May and Rhodey met…

Chapter 6: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Jim Rhodes stood in the expansive foyer of the Stark Mansion on a brisk, sunny Saturday morning waiting for his friend to greet and usher him down to the basement to work on "suit stuff". Pre-Pepper, Rhodey wouldn't have hesitated to go straight down to workshop without Tony, but that incident last year with Tony and Pepper and the backseat of the hot rod effectively ended that habit. Now he preferred to linger in the safe comfort of the entrance.

Tony only kept him waiting a few minutes though. "Platypus!" he exclaimed. "What's going on, man? It's been like three weeks, where did Nick Fury banish you this time?"

"The North-South Korean border. It was ugly, you have one hell of an overhaul awaiting you down there," Jim told him.

"Well, good to have you back. Have you had breakfast?" he asked as he started for the kitchen.

"No, didn't bother. Your fridge is always better stocked than mine," Rhodey replied, not waiting for a formal invitation to raid Tony's pantry. "Where's Pepper?"

"Some exercise class, Yogalates or something," Tony responded, a little sheepish that he actually remembered the name of the stupid class. He was so whipped.

The two men eased into a casual conversation spanning a variety of topics as they emptied Tony's fridge. They were leaving the kitchen when Rhodey saw her: the young, beautiful redhead clad in only a Stark Industries t-shirt and (hopefully) underwear traipse into the room behind Tony's back. She didn't think twice in opening the fridge and scan what was left of its contents. The gesture infuriated Rhodey, her relaxed attitude meant she'd been here before. He speedily vacillated whether to ask then punch or punch then ask. How could Tony do this Pepper, who'd stood by him through everything?

He'd decided to ask and then punch, since he was feeling generous this morning. "What the hell is wrong with you, Tony?" he demanded through gritted teeth as he balled his fists. "I thought you said you weren't doing this anymore, besides, is this one even legal?"

Tony was at a loss for words until he turned around to see what his friend was so angrily staring at. Once he did, Tony couldn't help but to burst into laughter. "That's a good one, Platypus. Don't get your panties a bunch, I am _so _not sleeping with her."

"Well, who she is then?" Rhodey didn't relent with his interrogative tone.

"That, my dear friend, is May Parker. As in Peter Parker, as in Spider-Man, if you didn't catch—"

"I did. You're not the only one who went to MIT here, Tony." Jim reminded him…_again_.

"Right, I just graduated before you did with double Masters degrees. Anyway, May and Spider-Dad had a little misunderstanding earlier this week, so she's staying the summer with me to give them some much needed space." Tony enlightened the Colonel. "Hey May! Get your barely clothed butt over here, there's someone I want to you to meet."

May looked over from where she was studying the insides of the fridge with frustration and estimating how much Tony and Pepper spent on food weekly. Her irritated expression quickly morphed to one of mortification when she saw that not only was Tony watching her, but none other than _War Machine_ was too. It was strange to see the famous Colonel Rhodes in just jeans and a black t-shirt, in all the images and videos she'd seen of him he was either looking pristine in his military uniform or looking seriously intimidating in the Suit. She padded over to the superhero duo, self-consciously tugging at the hem of her t-shirt.

"May, this is Colonel Jim Rhodes, or maybe better known as—"

"War Machine," May cut him off, extending her hand to Jim. "It's such an honor to meet a national hero like yourself."

"Suck-up," Tony fake coughed.

Rhodey ignored Tony's not so subtle jibe and took May's hand. "The pleasure is all mine, May."

"May is actually a superhero in training; she's going to be taking over the Spider dynasty soon" Tony informed Rhodey, who couldn't help but notice that he still hadn't let go of May's hand.

"Is that true?" Rhodey questioned looking from Tony to May and back, _finally _releasing her hand from his grip. "You're the mysterious new Spider-Girl?"

"Um, yeah," she blushed. "I didn't know I was such a big deal."

"You just look so…normal," he remarked stunned.

"Thank you?" May didn't know exactly how to reply.

"Well as awkward as this is," Tony broke the silence, clapping his hands together. "Rhodey and I have some important business to attend to downstairs. You're welcome to sit in."

"Oh no thanks, I've already seen 'I Love You, Man'," May replied, her voice glib. "I was thinking of heading to beach, is it cool if I call Happy?"

Tony scoured his mind for the proper 'parental' way to respond. "Sure, how long are you going to be gone?"

"I'll back around three," she answered.

"Okay, bring your phone and be careful." That's something Peter would say, right?

"Aw, you're so cute when you're trying to be parental," she cooed teasingly and began to depart. "See you later, it was so nice to meet you Colonel Rhodes."

"Please, call me Jim, and see you around," Rhodey told her, examining the adolescent a little too closely as she left. Now it was Tony's turn to get pissed.

"Damn," he said once she disappeared. "I knew Spider-Man had a lot of powers, but I didn't know that making a hot daughter was one of them."

"Well, it's a rather recent development," Tony conceded before his tone hardened from protectiveness. "But you were right, you know. May isn't legal, so stop looking at her like she's twenty-five."

"Oh, sorry dude, didn't know. You've got to admit that she's pretty…um…so you going to recruit her for the Avengers?" inquired Rhodey eager to change the subject.

"I'd like to, but Peter is so damn protective of her. I promised her mother that we wouldn't let her join until she's twenty-one, but if something big comes up in the next four years, she could prove to be a valuable asset." Tony instantly regretted his word choice. "Come on, dude, downstairs before I have to call 'To Catch a Predator'."

0-0-0

_Done_, May congratulated herself as she slammed her book shut. She really thought that the four-hundred and sixty four pages of the novel would have taken longer than a couple days to finish, but a childhood of Harry Potter novels did wonders for one's reading speed. May's current dilemma was now how to occupy the remaining hour until Happy came to pick her up. _Funny, _she mused, _how easily I've adapted to having a chauffeur._ September was going to be a rude re-awakening.

The teenager pulled out her iphone, a seventeenth birthday present, from her beach bag. She scrolled listlessly through her contacts, stopping on the name Davida Kirby. Her best friend. May yearned to call her and at least let Davida know that she was okay, but something unnamable within her prevented her from doing so. May was aware she was entering dangerous territory. Especially since she'd now scrolled to the contact labeled 'Home'. Just like one of the waves breaking no more than twenty feet in front of her, all of the heartache and homesickness swelled inside of her and came crashing down. _No, I can't, _May endeavored to convince herself, _it would be too painful. You're just going to start crying and everyone around you is going to wonder what's wrong with you and then you won't be able to stop and then Tony's going to think you're an idiot girl who isn't qualified to be a superhero since she lets her emotions get the best of her._ May wished her superhuman strength applied to her emotions as well as her body as she did her best to extinguish the inferno of thoughts blazing her mind. Maybe it was best if she left, May had already completed the necessary beach activities—go for a swim, tan, read, ogle the lifeguards, all in all her day at the beach was pretty much complete.

May slid her finger along the touch screen so the cursor rested over Happy's name. This time she actually pressed send.

0-0-0

Rhodey was only mildly aware that it was evening when he resurfaced from the basement for edible reinforcements; therefore he was somewhat surprised to see the windows filled with darkness. Pepper was seated on the couch, industriously typing away on her laptop as soundless images from MSNBC played above her head.

"Giving up a commitment-free Saturday night? Okay, _now_ you're officially the hardest working person I know," Rhodey remarked, interrupting Pepper's concentration.

She threw him a self-effacing grin and replied, "I don't know about that. I'm just trying to keep up really, haven't you two been down there all day?"

"Yeah," he admitted, "But we took a Call of Duty break."

"How's it going?" inquired Pepper.

"It's going," Rhodey shrugged. "Where's your houseguest?"

"Oh May?" Pepper replied. "She disappeared two hours ago into her room, and from the occasional blasting of the bass, presumably to have a dance party."

"I never thought in a million years that Tony would let a teenage girl stay with him. Seems a little out of character, you know?" mused Rhodey.

"Agreed," concurred Pepper. "I guess Tony sees part of himself in her, and for once, thank God not part of himself _inside_ of her."

Rhodey broke out into a surprised laughter at Pepper's shrewd remark. "Damn Potts! That came outta left field!"

"Don't act so surprised Rhodey, I _am _capable of having a sense of humor outside the office" she responded mock-offended.

"Sorry, sorry, lesson learned. I like her though, she seems fiery."

"She's definitely inherited Mary Jane's moxy," Pepper agreed.

"So….how long do you give them until they tear this place apart?" Rhodey inquired. He had observed the dynamic between the two heroes earlier and it didn't take much to tell that it was only a matter of time before they were throwing punches.

Pepper hesitated for a brief moment to fully consider Rhodey's question. "Well, it's already been two and a half weeks…"

"I give them five days," Rhodey assuredly predicted.

"I give them three." Pepper bet. " I love the man, but knowing Tony, he'll make some remark that will set her off and I'll be calling the contractor again." 

"Speaking of which, I should probably be getting back down there. I don't have to tell you that Iron Man doesn't like to be kept waiting." Rhodey said, the disdain creeping into his tone.

"Of course," said Pepper, rolling her endearingly at the thought as Rhodey headed back downstairs.

Call it women's intuition, or just the fact that Pepper had know Tony for a decade and a half, but Pepper's prediction about the date of Tony and May's face-off was going to be right on the mark.

A/N: So this chapter's kind of a shortie, and I apologize for that. Trust me though…the next chapter is going to ACTION-PACKED! School is CRAZY (I am taking a ridiculously heavy course load), so I'm going to need reviews to encourage me to write such a big chapter!

-youngandobssesed


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